Action: WR CompKch
ACTION PLAN DETAIL SHEET
Action Full Name: County Wide Compost
Date: __11/19/09___ Work Group: ___FAWM___
Recommended Action: Compost “compostable” discards for which reuse
or recycling is not possible or available, rather than bury it in a landfill.
Unit of Measure: tons compostables
Action Overview
Interrelationships:
 Actions from other work groups similar to this Action: NONE
 Other work groups which could contribute to this Action: (include specific individual’s names too)
 Related Actions from other groups which this group could contribute to: WR_ZWPayThrw: Zero Waste Pay to
Throw
Goal/Effect:
1. Eliminate to the fullest extent possible the quantity of organic waste which gets buried in the landfill
2. Minimize the amount of greenhouse gases generated by the decomposition of the diverted organic waste steams
3. Maximize the conversion of organic waste streams into a useable soil amendment
4. Reduce carbon loss
5. Create a carbon sink
Strategies:
1. Produce a Class I or Class II composting facility design and operation plan/best practices document for offsite
composting services and compost production
2. Generate funding
3. Collect and publish data on compostable waste stream.
4. Inform compostable waste stream generators about their potential contribution of compostable waste to
composting efforts in La Plata County
5. Produce a signed contract creating a public-private partnership which will offer composting services throughout
La Plata County
6. Conduct and publish an onsite/offsite composting appropriateness evaluation
7. Inform compostable waste stream generators about their onsite/offsite composting options and direct them to their
private and/or public compost service contact/s for more information
8. Provide onsite composting information, products and services where appropriate
9. Build facility, acquire equipment, hire and train staff according to facility design and operation plan/best practices
document and document the process
10. Implement collection system/program
11. Implement incentive program (i.e. have county register on CCX)
12. Use/distribute compost
13. Continue to collect and publish data on compostable waste stream
Coverage: La Plata County local and state government agencies, businesses, residents, schools, farms and ranches, golf
courses, construction companies, food processing/manufacturing/service facilities, landfills, forestry agencies and any
other entity generating compostable discards
Responsibility: The City of Durango and La Plata County will initiate implementation of this action plan.
Page 1 of 4
File: WR_CompKch.pdf
Action: WR CompKch
ACTION PLAN DETAIL SHEET
Action Full Name: County Wide Compost
Coordination/Support Required to Implement Action Plan:
Entity / Function
Name
Phone
Email
City of Durango, Dept.
of Sustainable
Services/Solid Waste
Division
City of Durango,
Wastewater Treatment
City of Durango, City
Council
La Plata County
San Juan Basin
Recycling Association
Phoenix Recycling
Durango Compost
Company
Bondad Landfill/WCA
Waste Management
Southern Ute Tribe
Outside Compost
Facility Engineering
and Design Consultant
State and local forestry
agencies:
City of Durango,
Forestry Division
State Forest Service
San Juan National
Forest
Mark
Williams
970-3754830
williamsml@ci.durango.co.us
John
Sandhaus
Michael
Rendon
Walt
Serfoss
Nancy
Andrews
Mark
Thompson
Jenny
Craig
Bill Rose
970-3754895
970-3755001
970-3826417
970-3754830
970-3751300
970-7997614
505-6342510
505-3276284
970-5630135
970-4543492
sandhausjh@ci.durango.co.us
375-7383
stonerra@ci.durango.co.us
247-5250
or
247-5250
dan.wand@colostate.edu
or
treader@lamar.colostate.edu
385-1253
ddallison2@hotmail.com
Dennis
Gallegos
Peter
Dietrich
A-1
Organics,
Bob Yost
Ron
Stoner
Dan
Wand or
Tim
Reader
Dave
Dallison
Date contacted to
discuss feasibility of
action plan and
response
Michael_Rendon@ci.durango.co.us
serfosswa@co.laplata.co.us
andrewsnp@ci.durango.co.us
mark@phoenixrecycling.com
jenny@durangocompost.com
wrose@wcamerica.com
dgallegos@wm.com
pdieth@southern-ute.nsn.us
Implementation Opportunities, Barriers and Strategies
Educational (Training/Awareness) Strategies:
The Eco Cycle center in Boulder has one of the best education informational outreach programs. The City must
initiate an extensive media campaign before it begins collection of food waste. The campaign will include website,
newspaper ads, brochures, one time newspaper insert or newsletter to be mailed to all customers.
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File: WR_CompKch.pdf
Action: WR CompKch
ACTION PLAN DETAIL SHEET
Action Full Name: County Wide Compost
The Pay As You Throw rate system could be even more of an incentive after organics collection is initiated because
food waste is such a large part of the waste stream. This fact will be publicized.
Implementation Mechanisms: (Law/Policy/Code Changes; Incentives (Economic, Payments, Market, nonmonetary); Livelihood and Business Opportunities; Other (explain). Provide specifics):
The first step in implementing a large-scale food waste collection and composting program is to build a new
recycling center in Durango, for which the City is currently in the process of developing. In-vessel composting will
be a part of the center and the City will begin curbside pickup of organic waste as a part of its recycling program.
The City will switch to a single stream recycling system for its pickup upon completion of the new recycling center,
and this new collection system will include a separate bin for organic waste under the assumption that this is the
best way to collect organic waste. Durango currently has a ‘Pay As You Throw’ rate system for its waste
customers, in which the less trash you produce, the less you pay for trash pickup, based on the size of the garbage
can. The City could increase the rates for trash collection, or offer a smaller trash can at the same price as what is
now offered. The City will also pickup food waste from commercial and institutional customers, such as restaurants
and schools.
The City will produce compost and plans to sell the material to local nurseries and to give some to local schools and
nonprofit groups that are involved in gardening and food production.
Potential Barriers to Consensus and Suggested Alternative Solutions:
Landfill operators may feel threatened by a potential loss of business, but a solution to this would be for the landfill
to operate a compost facility on the same property.
Neighbors of a potential compost facility site may object due to concerns about aesthetics, odors, potential loss of
property value, but a solution to this would be to educate the neighbors about composting facilities and best
management practices.
Potential Implementation Barriers and Suggestions to Overcome Barriers:
Barriers: High start-up costs and potential to operate at a loss; State waste regulations.
Suggestions: Implement in phases. Develop and implement best practices to maximize efficiency and productivity.
Further process the compost to create a value added product which would generate greater revenue. Sell carbon
credits.
Suggested Funding Mechanism:
Seek funding through grants and donations; Use part of the revenue from city sales tax; Pre-sell curbside compost
containers to every household within the city and county as a fundraiser; Green investors.
Collateral Benefits: Composting creates a useful product from organic waste to enrich soils; The composting process
has been shown to absorb odors and treat semivolatile and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as well as bind heavy
metals to prevent them from migrating to water sources; Using compost can reduce the need for water, fertilizers and
pesticides; Composting extends municipal landfill life by diverting organic materials.
Precedent(s) of Successful Implementation
Example/Story of Successful Precedent of Implementation (if available):
1) San Francisco
The City and County of San Francisco rolled out its residential three-stream (compostables, commingled
recyclables and trash) curbside program citywide in 2004 to 130,000 single-family and 20,000 buildings with five
or more units. Materials collected in green carts are all food residuals, including fish and meat, food-soiled paper
(including waxed cardboard) and yard trimmings. Waste going to the landfill has been reduced 24%, from about
2,100 tons/day to 1,600 tons/day.
http://www.jgpress.com/archives/_free/001833.html
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File: WR_CompKch.pdf
Action: WR CompKch
ACTION PLAN DETAIL SHEET
Action Full Name: County Wide Compost
2) Swift County, Minnesota
Started in 1990, the source separated composting program in Swift County still receives about 2,000 tons/year of
source separated compostable Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), according to the Minnesota Pollution Control
Agency. Organics are composted in windrows. In 2006, Swift County produced about 1,500 tons of compost;
residuals accounted for 146 tons.
http://www.bpiworld.org/Default.aspx?pageId=190309
3) Toronto, Canada
Toronto's Green Bin Program is one of the most successful waste diversion programs in North America. The unique
composting technology allows everything from table scraps to pet waste to be turned into compost. The City needs
residents' continued participation.
http://www.toronto.ca/greenbin/facts.htm
http://beyondrecycling.org/pdf_files/FinalReport.pdf
http://www.biomasstrader.org/
http://www.ncbiomasstrader.org/home.aspx
Documentation of CAPPA inputs:
CAPPA Parameter
Waste Diverted from Landfill
(lbs/person/yr)
2015-L
40
2015-M
50
2015-H
60
2020-L
80
2020-M
93.5
2020-H
107
La Plata County (CAPPA City)
Population
53284
58801
64826
56002
64921
75152
Start
Date
Source
http://www.epa.gov/
epawaste/nonhaz/
municipal/pubs/ms
w2008rpt.pdf
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File: WR_CompKch.pdf